Definition

To cut off part of a bird's beak, usually to stop it from pecking or fighting.

Example

Farmers often debeak chickens to reduce aggressive behavior in flocks.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Have you ever seen how farmers debeak chickens?

Yeah, I heard it's to stop them from pecking each other.

Exactly! It's a pretty common practice in poultry farming.

I guess it makes sense to prevent fighting among them.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Debeak → The word is formed from "de-" (meaning to remove or reverse) and "beak" (from Old English "beac", meaning the pointed part of a bird's mouth). The term "debeak" refers to the act of removing a bird's beak, typically for management purposes in poultry.

Memory Tip

Think of 'removing' ('de-') the 'beak' of a bird — that's what debeak means.

Visually Confused Words